The City office of US firm Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft is losing rated restructuring partner Richard Gregorian to US rival Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw as evidence emerges that lawyer departures from the firm extend beyond last week’s projects lay-offs.

Gregorian, who joined Cadwalader as a partner in 2000 from Clifford Chance, has handled some of the most significant bond re-structurings in the US/European high-yield markets, including that of RSL Communications, Versatel, Ionica and Energis.